12 Questions That Will Uncover Your Leadership Strengths

We all know that leading a team can be very challenging and yet so rewarding. Finding the right people is often difficult. Your team or an individual team member can be up one minute and down the next. As well as focussing on your role in the business you have to ensure your team is also being challenged, motivated and delivering on great customer service.

We have a fundamental approach to leadership and we focus on helping managers be the best leaders they can be. We cover this during our training sessions by introducing the following 3 facts of leadership:

Leadership is about getting things done through others

You need your people more than they need you

You get paid for what your people do not just for what you do.

In a retail environment you can’t run the store on your own, particularly when it’s busy. You need your team to be there, but with the attitude of wanting to be there and motivated. We know this doesn’t always happen.

So we introduce our coaching philosophy which is – “I need to do everything in my power to help my people be as good as they can be, because when they succeed I succeed.” When we ask managers to discuss this philosophy and tell us if they agree or disagree, 99.9% have agreed.

Not too surprising I’m sure, but the secret is – how do you do this? What does a manager have to do every day to live this philosophy? It’s doing a number of things such as:

Setting clear expectations and reinforcing these

Using benchmarking to analyse performance

Setting goals

Being a great role model

Communicating effectively

Following up by evaluating performance

Providing effective feedback.

We provide training on all of the above, as most managers do not learn these steps either before they become a leader or when they move into a leadership role.

I read a recent article in business insider where they interviewed Facebook’s HR Chief, Lori Goler, and she recommended a book called “First, Break All the Rules.” The book was written and published back in 1999 by two Gallup analysts, Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. Goler said she recommends all new managers should read the book.

The book identifies 12 questions that capture everything you need to know about the workplace. I believe the 12 questions asked massively reinforces our coaching philosophy, in that it’s all about helping your team to be a good as they can be. If they can answer yes to these questions, you are doing all you can!

“Do I know what is expected of me at work?”

“Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?”

“At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?”

“In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?”

“Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?”

“Is there someone at work who encourages my development?”

“At work, do my opinions seem to count?”

“Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?”

“Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?”

“Do I have a best friend at work?”

“In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?”

“This last year, have I had opportunities to learn and grow?”

Roger Simpson – CEO, The Retail Solution and Author of “The Retail Solution” With over 35 years’ industry experience, Roger Simpson is recognized as Australia’s #1 Authority on customer ROI in the retail industry and as a global expert on staff coaching, customer service, and selling skills.